1. Technical Field
A self-contained powered surgical stapling apparatus is provided for sequentially applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue and optionally incising the fastened tissue.
2. Background of Related Art
Surgical devices wherein tissue is first gasped or clamped between opposing jaw structure and then joined by means of surgical fasteners are well known in the art. In some instruments a knife is provided to cut the tissue which has been joined by the fasteners. The fasteners are typically in the form of surgical staples however, two part polymeric fasteners are also utilized.
Instruments for this purpose can include two elongated members which are respectively used to capture or clamp tissue. Typically, one of the members carries a disposable cartridge which houses a plurality of staples arranged in at least two lateral rows while the other member includes an anvil which defines a surface for forming the staple legs as the fasteners are driven from the cartridge. Generally, the stapling operation is effected by a pusher which travels longitudinally through the cartridge carrying member, with the pusher acting upon the staples to sequentially eject them from the cartridge. A knife may travel with the pusher between the staple rows to longitudinally cut and/or open the stapled tissue between the rows of staples. Such instruments are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,079,606 to Bobroy et at. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,675 to Green.
A later stapler disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,591 to Green applies a double row of staples on each side of the incision. This is accomplished by providing a cartridge assembly in which a cam member moves through an elongate guide path between two sets of staggered staple carrying grooves. Staple drive members are located within the grooves and are positioned in such a manner so as to be contacted by the longitudinally moving cam to effect ejection of the staples.
Each of the instruments described above were designed for use in conventional surgical procedures wherein surgeons have direct manual access to the operative site. However, in endoscopic or laparoscopic procedures, surgery is performed through a small incision or through narrow a cannula inserted through small entrance wounds in the skin. In order to address the specific needs of endoscopic and/or laparoscopic surgical procedures, an endoscopic surgical stapling apparatus has been developed and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,715. This apparatus is well suited for such procedures and includes a fastener applying assembly having an anvil and a staple cartridge provided at the distal end of an endoscopic body portion which permits the instrument to be inserted into a cannula and be remotely operated by the surgeon through manipulation of a proximal handle mechanism.
The instruments discussed above all require some degree of manually applied force in order to clamp, fasten and/or cut tissue. Surgeons have thus recognized the benefits of using self-powered instruments that are actuable with only a limited degree of physical force. Self-powered surgical instruments have been provided to serve these needs and include both gas powered surgical staplers, as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,023, and electrically powered surgical instruments as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,635,638 and 5,258,007, and European Pat. Appln. No. 0 552 050. In general, prior art electrically powered surgical instruments have been driven by external power sources. The instruments were connected to the power sources by conductive cables. Such cables could, however, become entangled during a surgical procedure, thereby complicating the operation.
It would be beneficial to provide a self-contained powered surgical apparatus for applying a plurality of surgical staples to body tissue and concomitantly incising the stapled tissue. Such an apparatus should be compact, lightweight and easy to manufacture. Currently, surgical instruments are designed for use in either open, i.e. invasive procedures, or endoscopic/laparoscopic procedures. As noted above, endoscopic instruments require elongate shafts to access remote surgical sites. Conventional surgical instruments are not constructed in this manner. It would be advantageous to provide a powered surgical instrument which can be readily adapted for use in both conventional and laparoscopic procedures.